


Team Tardis Adventures: How To Save Your Jeopardy-Friendly Companion OR Doctor Lumberjack And His Search For Hard Wood OR Searching For A Tree And Finding Something Better

by goingtothetardis



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Almost Drowning, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Romance, Sharing a Bed, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-05 18:32:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor takes Rose and Jack to get a Christmas tree the traditional way, and of course, no adventure with the Doctor is without complications.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WordsInTimeAndSpace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsInTimeAndSpace/gifts).



> This is my dwsecretsanta gift for wordsintimeandspace! She requested one of the RTD Doctors with some fluffy hurt/comfort and bed sharing. I originally had another idea, but a friend was telling me about a prompt she got, and my own version of the idea would not let go of me. Somehow this evolved, and then something happens later on I was not expecting at all. I’m not quite sure what happened, but I hope you love it!! :D
> 
> Beta: aimtoallonsy on tumblr -- thank her for this ridiculous title. ;)

The Doctor stuck his head out over the grating in the console room and looked around. Outside of the ever-present hum of his ship, there was silence. In fact, now that he thought about it, it had been far too quiet in his ship for, oh, three hours, forty three minutes, and sixteen seconds. The Doctor shook his head as he climbed out from where he was working on the TARDIS and headed down the hallway. Nearly four hours was far too long to leave Jack unsupervised with Rose. Who knew what kind of nefarious shenanigans he might have gotten into, even on the TARDIS? How had he lost track of time? He laughed to himself at that and shook his head. Him, a Lord of Time, losing track of time. 

Quickening his pace, the Doctor allowed the TARDIS to lead him to the ornate doors of the library. The library? Jack? Maybe just Rose, then.

The Doctor pushed both doors open and strode into the library, his mouth opening to spout off some brilliantly sarcastic quip about his disappearing companions. Instead, his mouth hung open in shock as he gazed around the room. Varieties of red, green, silver, and gold garland hung from every bookcase wrapping around the massive dodecagonal shaped room. Thick, pine garland wound up the railing of the stairs leading to the upper levels of the library. The massive fireplace taking up one wall had been redesigned by the TARDIS, a broad, wooden mantle built into what looked like river rock constructing the actual fireplace. In fact, it appeared the TARDIS had completely redecorated his favorite room to look as if it were inside a cozy log cabin, despite the great size of the room.

Looking back to the fireplace, he found Rose standing on the vast stone ledge to the side, situating some ornately carved wooden Christmas trees on one end of the mantel, which was heavily bedecked in an eclectic array of decor. The fire danced merrily in its stone casing, and Rose’s hips swayed back and forth as she sang along to the music. The Doctor’s gaze softened as he watched her, his heart warming with feelings he studiously ignored.

He opened his mouth again, but before a word could escape, another voice called out from upstairs. 

“Rose? The TARDIS gave us everything we needed except the tree. For some reason she doesn’t have a Christmas tree garden stashed away somewhere. What say you and I go find the Doc and ask him why?” Jack’s voice was muffled behind several rows of books and furniture. 

“Because the _proper_ way to fetch a Christmas tree, according to human traditions of your time, is to tramp through a forest to find the perfect tree and cut it down yourself,” the Doctor answered, announcing his presence. 

Rose jumped in surprise at the Doctor’s reply and then snorted in response to his words. “Maybe in the mountains, yeah, but in my world they’re either fake ones from the store or real ones from a tree market that only last a few weeks. Or, if you’re posh, you can to go a tree farm. ‘Course, we didn’t do _that_ on the Estate.”

She hopped off the fireplace and walked to the Doctor as Jack ambled down the staircase whistling along to the song playing on the TARDIS surround sound. 

“Well, as the TARDIS seems to have supplied you with everything but a tree, suppose I have to show you the proper way to procure a Christmas tree,” the Doctor said, pausing as a thought hit him and then continuing with a furrowed brow. “Incidentally, how did you convince the TARDIS to give you these decorations? I didn’t even know she _had_ Christmas decorations.”

Rose leaned against a nearby wall and stroked her finger down it, giving the Doctor a little smirk. “She likes me.”

“Oi,” the Doctor shot back. “But I won’t deny that claim. She seems...curiously eager to make you happy. So, what’s with all this?” He waved his hand around the room, gesturing at the Christmas decorations. 

“The calendar you made to keep track of my Earth time told me it’s December first. An’ mum and me, we always decorate on the first. But this year I’m with you an’ Jack, and we can always go back. Time machine, you know.” Rose grinned at the Doctor and looked over at Jack, the excitement clearly visible in her eyes. 

“Well, that’s that, isn’t it Doc?” Jack laughed, knowing Rose had the Doctor wrapped around her little finger and would do whatever she wanted, even if he complained about it. “How about you tell us more about how we’re going to get this Christmas tree.”

The Doctor sighed, resigned to what looked like, if Rose’s current enthusiasm indicated anything, twenty-five days of holiday related activities planned by one Rose Tyler and, it seemed, his TARDIS. And Jack, well, Jack was always the flexible one. 

“You lot go change into something appropriate for cold weather. Think boots and clothes to wear in the snow. We might be hiking. I’ll meet you in the console room in thirty minutes.”

“What about you, Doctor? Are you going to dress up like a lumberjack or something? I mean, I’m assuming you’ll be the one fetching the tree.” Rose’s eyes briefly darkened and her cheeks flushed. 

The Doctor heard Jack snort and mumble something unintelligible about “oblivious idiots” under his breath as he passed the Doctor on his way out of the library. The Doctor ignored him and focused instead on Rose’s pink cheeks. Lumberjack? Interesting. 

“A lumberjack? Me? Rose, we’re only getting a Christmas tree. And why change? Leather jacket, jumper, jeans, boots. Practical is what that is. Good for any adventure.” The Doctor crossed his arms. 

Rose sighed and rolled her eyes. “Never mind, Doctor. Take us to get our Christmas tree, then. I’ll see you in the console room in a bit.”

After Rose left, the Doctor glanced around the library, the gears churning in his mind. He decided to make one, brief stop before meeting his companions in the console room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team TARDIS gets ready to go tree hunting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s an obscure reference to something ridiculous and British in here, so let me know if you get it. Thank ten-and-a-rose for suggesting it. :D
> 
> Beta: aimtoallonsy on tumblr

Rose pulled open her wardrobe door and contemplated what to wear. The Doctor had said snow clothing, boots, and something she could hike in. Hike? In the snow? She sighed.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like snow, but the idea of hiking in the snow seemed a bit difficult. Especially when looking for a Christmas tree. But, she realized, this was all part of the experience of traveling on the TARDIS, and she couldn’t deny feeling a wee bit excited at the idea of fetching a Christmas tree from an actual forest. 

She pushed some clothes to the side and found a pair of sturdy snow boots that laced up to mid-calf. A pair of thick, woolly trousers were folded neatly next to the boots with what looked like thermal underwear and warm hiking socks lying on top of the trousers. Hanging in the space above was a cute, green and blue, flannel button-up shirt with white accent lines that looked like it would be comfortable for outside activities in the snow, as well as a black, puffy winter coat with a fur-lined hood. Blimey, it must be _cold_ where they’re going. The TARDIS hadn’t even provided her with that many clothes when they’d gone to Women Wept. Then again, they hadn’t exactly gone tramping about the ice waves. 

Rose dressed in the clothes provided by the TARDIS, marveling at how the woolly thermals felt like soft cotton against her skin. The jacket was draped over her arms as she made her way toward the console room. As she passed the galley, she paused momentarily before changing direction and entering the room. She found Jack at the counter preparing sandwiches. A rucksack sat on a chair near the table. 

“Oh, hi Rosie,” Jack inclined his head at her as he wrapped up a sandwich. “I got stuck in the snow for a few days once without food, and I am not repeating that experience. I’m making some snacks to bring along, because we both know what can happen when we go out with the Doctor.”

“Good idea,” said Rose with a smile. “I was thinking of bringing some hot chocolate. I know the TARDIS has some thermoses that keep liquid at the perfect drinking temperature all the time.”

“Excellent idea, but I already beat you to it. I put two thermoses in the rucksack already,” Jack said, gesturing vaguely at the table while he gave Rose a long look from head to toe. “You look like you’re ready for quite a winter adventure. Nice plaid.”

“Yeah, well, you know the TARDIS. She always seems to know what I need. Besides, you’re one to talk.” Rose nodded at Jack’s sleek (and snug), technical looking ski pants, mountaineering boots, and sporty thermals.

Jack smirked. “What, see something you like?” Rose rolled her eyes.

Jack finished preparing the food and drinks and packed them in the rucksack, which he then hoisted onto his back. 

“I found this rucksack in the wardrobe, and it feels like I have nothing on my back. Gotta love that transdimensional technology. I’ll have to keep this handy during all our other unexpected adventures.”

“Unexpected adventures, right. More like normal, everyday life for us. Alright, shall we?” Rose asked, and the two of them left the galley and resumed their walk to the console room. 

The console room looked empty when Rose and Jack arrived, and Rose looked around briefly before calling out, “Doctor?”

“Ah, Rose, Jack. Took you long enough. Are you ready?” The Doctor stepped out from behind a coral strut close to the door, holding what looked like a tennis racket in his hands.

Jack laughed loudly and cat-called the Doctor. “Wooohooo, looking good there, Doc.”

Rose stood in place, dumbfounded, and she felt her cheeks flush the longer she stared at the Doctor. He stood in front of her dressed like a lumberjack. A real and proper lumberjack. It was a far cry from his standard look of black leather and jeans. He wore a thick, woolly red and black plaid button-up shirt tucked into dark green woolly trousers, which had green braces snapped to the front and back. His trousers were tucked into sturdy, brown leather boots. Leaning against the wall near the doors to the TARDIS, Rose saw a large axe. The only thing missing from the ensemble was a bomber hat and a scruffy beard. 

Rose smiled at the Doctor, a wide, toothy grin, and unconsciously stuck her tongue in the corner of her mouth, her heart rate increasing as she shamelessly eyed the Doctor from head to toe. Despite her penchant for pretty boys, as the Doctor liked to call them, ever since Rose had met the Doctor, she’d developed a soft spot for his rugged appeal. This outfit only enhanced that.

The tips of the Doctor’s ears turned red at Rose’s blatant gaze, and his eyes zeroed in on her tongue, just briefly.

“Doctor, are you blushing?” Jack guffawed, still in disbelief of the Doctor’s outfit. “My, my, Doctor Lumberjack. What, may I ask, did I do to deserve this treat?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes at his charming companion and snorted derisively. 

“It’s to give Rose an authentic Christmas experience, Jack,” the Doctor said with a sigh. “An’ you won’t find me leaping from tree to tree in high heels, suspenders, and a bra, either, so you’d best not even suggest it.”

“Aw, Doc, you’re no fun,” Jack whined good naturedly. 

Rose finally found her voice, and she managed to stammer out, with cheeks still flushed, “D-Doctor, you look...different.”

The Doctor turned his gaze to Rose and looked her up and down, which, if anything, seemed to increase the blush in her cheeks. 

“Good different or bad different?” he asked, voice slightly lower.

“Just...different,” Rose said, embarrassed at how breathy she sounded. 

Jack cleared his throat and looked between his two friends, suddenly noticing a significant detail they appeared to have missed, distracted as they were by all the blushing. 

“Well, now. Isn’t this sweet? Look at you two. Matching outfits,” he said with a laugh. “The TARDIS clearly has a sense of humor, since I know she helped Rose out with her outfit. I knew she and I would get on well.”

Rose looked at the Doctor and caught his eye for a moment, both flushing as they realized Jack was right. She took a deep breath before breaking eye contact and rambling on in an attempt to move past the awkwardness. 

“So, _Doctor Lumberjack_ ,” she said with a smirk, earning a laugh from Jack and an eye roll from the Doctor, “I see your axe by the door. What’s that in your hand?”

The Doctor’s attention was pulled back to the moment, and he held up the object in his hand. 

“This, Rose Tyler, is a snowshoe. You strap one onto each foot, and they help you walk through deep snow. And there’s likely a great deal of snow out those doors. These here are a bit old for your time, but you wanted authentic, and authentic is usually more fun without all the bells and whistles.”

“Well, then, let’s go find our Christmas tree!” Rose exclaimed as she shrugged on her coat.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Christmas tree is found and other fluff ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my dwsecretsanta gift for wordsintimeandspace! I based this chapter on many of my happy childhood memories of doing this exact thing with my family in NW Washington state and Montana. My dad helped me out by explaining his tree hunting techniques :) I will say I made myself thoroughly homesick while writing this. Enjoy! Also, sorry about the end – don’t worry!!   
> Beta: aimtoallonsy

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Rose found warm woolly mittens and a knitted hat, which she put on before walking to the doors and throwing them open. A blast of cold air rushed inside the TARDIS, and a clump of snow spilled inside the ship. 

“Well, I guess I’ll be needing those snowshoes,” Rose said, wrinkling her nose at the cold. 

She waved her gloved hands around in the air, and the Doctor kneeled down to help her strap the shoes to her feet. Once properly outfitted, she awkwardly stepped outside and walked in circles, learning how to walk in the snowshoes. 

Within a few minutes, the Doctor and Jack joined her, both clad in similar-looking snowshoes. The Doctor wore a thin, black beanie and no gloves, and Jack wore a matching ski jacket that matched his pants with a knitted hat and thick gloves. 

“So, Doc,” Jack started, looking around at their surroundings, “where exactly are we?”

The TARDIS was parked in the middle of what looked like a road, a clear path wide enough for an automobile, winding through the woods, but the road itself was buried under several feet of snow. They were surrounded on both sides by tall pine trees, and snow fell lightly from a grey sky. There was a stillness to their surroundings, and in the temporary lull in conversation, the puffs of air from their breaths were the only disturbances to the scene. 

“We’re on Earth in 1947 in the northwest corner of Montana, a state in the United States, bordering Canada. It’s located in the northern Rocky Mountains, and it’s as good as place as any to find ourselves a Christmas tree. Nice trees, nice mountains. Now then, shall we start looking?”

The trio began trudging through the snow, Jack and the Doctor leading the way. Rose hung back behind the other two, still adjusting to the snowshoes while simultaneously trying to pick up speed without tripping. They walked up the road a few miles, and the forest began to thin out slightly, giving them a better view of potential trees to choose from. 

“Oi, you lot,” Rose panted with exertion, feeling a bit out of her element, “I’m gonna need a rest for a mo. Walking in these shoes is hard work.”

Jack spotted a rock by the side of the road, brushed off the snow, and placed his rucksack on top. When Rose caught up, she bent over for a few minutes to catch her breath.

“Doing alright, Rosie?” Jack asked. 

“Yeah,” Rose replied, “Jus’ need a drink of water, maybe hot chocolate?”

“Hot chocolate?” the Doctor asked incredulously, “What do you think this is? A luxurious hiking trip?”

Rose rolled her eyes. “How about a ‘Thank you, Rose. Stopping for refreshments was a great idea!’ Besides, it was Jack’s idea to bring the hot chocolate. It’ll be nice to have something warm to drink.”

After enjoying mugs of hot chocolate, Jack wandered away to explore the area, and the Doctor leaned against the rock watching Rose as she fell awkwardly on her back to make a snow angel, the action slightly hindered by her snowshoes. As soon as she stood up, with a hand from the Doctor, a packed ball of snow hit the side of her arm. Rose let out a howl and turned in the direction it came from.

Jack stood a distance away with a gleeful grin on his boyish face and another snowball in his hands. Rose immediately bent down to scoop up a handful of snow and threw it at Jack, missing him terribly by at least an arm’s length. 

“Oi, Rose, you’re gonna have to work on your aim a bit,” the Doctor called out with a laugh. 

“Oh yeah?” Rose snarked back as she scooped up another handful of snow and flung it at the Doctor, hitting him square in his chest. The snow exploded into his face, and he spluttered. 

Before they knew it, the small clearing they found themselves in was a snowball war zone as snowballs flew with uncanny precision from all parties. Rose snuck around the edge of the clearing and found a tree laden with heavy snow. Badly hiding behind a small tree, she waited until she heard the Doctor and Jack prepare to ambush her from the opposite side. Despite knowing she might be victim to her plan as well, Rose gave the tree a swift kick with one foot, and the snow dumped from its branches, landing heavily on top of the Doctor and Jack. Rose jumped back in time, avoiding the worst of the cascade of snow. She laughed gleefully and danced around in a victory dance. 

“I think,” Rose sing-songed, “that is how one wins a snowball fight.” 

“Unfair,” coughed the Doctor, as he tried to clear the snow out of his collar and off his head. 

“Yeah, Rosie, that was mean,” said Jack, shaking snow out of his coat.

Rose fought to wipe the smile off her face, but victory was sweet. 

Jack suggested snapping a few pictures, and the Doctor produced a sleek camera out of the depths of his trouser pockets. He handed the camera to Jack, and they all posed together while he held the camera at arm’s length, dressed in snow and smiles. Jack then requested one of just the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor tucked Rose into his side, and she placed a mittened hand on his chest and looked up at the Doctor before facing Jack with a wide smile on her face. Jack snapped the picture, and Rose saw him look at the image with a content smile before tucking the camera into his rucksack. 

Snow brushed off and everyone rejuvenated, they left the road and ventured into the woods to begin their tree hunt. Rose led the expedition and marked thirteen trees as potential winners, and the Doctor huffed as she tied a ribbon around the latest tree. Rose decided to ignore his mock impatience; he _did_ want to give her the authentic experience, and she wanted the tree to be perfect. This was, she decided, far better than finding a molting tree in a market in London. The Doctor always seemed to know what she would enjoy. 

“This one. No question, this is the tree.” Rose stood resolutely in front of a towering noble fir. 

She looked up at the tree in excitement. It was perfect. It was three meters tall, maybe a little more, and its branches were full and thick with green needles. There was minimal asymmetry to the tree that enhanced its charm. It would look perfect in the TARDIS library. 

“Fantastic!” The Doctor grinned. 

“Now let’s see your lumberjack skills, Doctor,” she smiled, cheeks rosy with excitement and cold. 

The Doctor walked around the tree with Jack and they talked among themselves to determine how to best fell the tree. The Doctor opened up Jack’s rucksack and pulled out his axe and a hand saw. He got on his back under the tree and sawed a few of the lower branches off to clear the base. That task complete, he stood momentarily, considering. He then ignored the axe in favor of his hand saw and bent over to saw the base of the tree. 

Rose stood back and enjoyed the view of the Doctor’s backside as he worked, unconsciously biting her bottom lip. She glanced to her left and saw Jack staring as well. Their eyes met for a moment, and Jack gave Rose a lascivious grin and raised his eyebrows knowingly. She blushed and turned back to watch the Doctor. She had no problem shamelessly appreciating the Doctor’s physical assets as he worked, knowing that was probably all she’d ever get to do with his, uh, physical assets. 

After a short time, the tree gracefully crashed to the ground. A thought struck her. 

“How’re we gonna get the tree back to the TARDIS?” she asked. 

“There’s enough snow on the ground, so we’ll pull it back. Shouldn’t be a problem.” The Doctor pulled a giant ball of twine out of his pocket. “This will give us a better handle to pull it with so we don’t have to hold on to the tree.”

“Alright, but before we go back, it’s time for tea,” Rose said, her stomach growling. “All this tramping around in these snowshoes builds an appetite.”

The Doctor and Jack agreed, and they cleared an area in the snow and ate the sandwiches Jack had prepared. As they ate, Rose noticed the sound of water nearby.

“Before we go back go back to the TARDIS, can we find the water?” Rose asked. 

“I don’t see why not,” the Doctor replied. “Let’s leave the tree here and pick it up on the way back.”

Jack shrugged his shoulders, and they packed the rucksack with the remnants of their lunch and wandered in the direction of the water. After walking about ten minutes, they came to the edge of a rushing river, the color a deep, clear teal. There was a steep drop to the river below, perhaps five meters, and they stood close to the edge, admiring the view. The clouds whirled around tall mountains in the distance, and the river was lined by snow-covered trees. The blue mixed with the froth of water running over rocks and added to the peaceful ambiance of the scene. 

The Doctor and Rose held hands, her mittened hand in his bare one, and Jack stood on her opposite side with his arm around her shoulders. 

“I don’t know about you, but I’m knackered,” Rose said after a few minutes. “We should probably head back to the TARDIS.”

The Doctor and Jack agreed, and Jack unwrapped his right arm from Rose and turned around to step back into the woods. As the Doctor and Rose followed, a chunk of earth broke away where Rose was standing, and as she stumbled, her attempts to stabilize herself were thwarted by the awkwardness of her snowshoes, and her hand broke loose from the Doctor’s. She fell with the earth towards the river, screaming for the Doctor, reaching for and failing to find a handhold. 

“ROSE!!” the Doctor cried, and Jack whipped back around to see a flash of blond fall out of sight. 

The men stood helplessly at the edge of the cliff as they watched Rose fall to the water below, shrieking all the way, her eyes glued to the Doctor’s as she fell.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a bit tense after Rose falls, and the Doctor does everything he can to save Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my dwsecretsanta gift for wordsintimeandspace! I’m sorry!! This fluffy adventure needed a bit of angst. Don’t worry, it’s temporary!! No one dies, but I’m still putting the almost drowning tag on as a trigger warning.

The Doctor and Jack looked desperately over the edge of the cliff and watched helplessly as they saw Rose bob to the surface, her arms flailing out of the water as she struggled to stay afloat. 

“ROSE!” 

Rose whipped her head up at the Doctor’s shout and tried to answer before she was pulled under again by the current. She didn’t resurface.

The Doctor looked downstream several hundred meters and saw the land leveled out to meet the water. He turned to Jack and looked at his friend, eyes desperate. 

“Jack, run downstream and meet me there. I’m jumping in,” the Doctor ordered. 

“But Doctor, won’t you --” Jack started before he was interrupted by the Doctor. 

“GO! I’ll be fine. My body can handle the water temperature for longer than you or Rose. NOW GO!”

The Doctor scanned the water for Rose once more, kicked off his snowshoes, and jumped over the edge. 

His body hit the water and he gasped at the shockingly cold temperature as he resurfaced. The current thrust him around beyond his control, and he took a huge breath of air before ducking under the water, his eyes open and alert. He was thankful for the clear water as he spied Rose a few meters downstream, fully submerged underwater and stuck in a log dam, no doubt weighed down in the water by her heavy winter clothes. With powerful strokes to avoid the natural pull of the current, he managed to maneuver himself to the underwater dam and pulled himself along the wood until he reached Rose. Her body was limp under water, and a timer began ticking in his mind from four minutes, starting when she’d gone under, to tell him how much time he had to get her out of the water and air in her lungs and body. 

_two minutes, thirty seconds_

He wrapped his arms around her as his respiratory bypass kicked in, and with a powerful kick, he tried to launch himself away from the dam. She was stuck. He swiftly found the sharp branch that had pierced her coat (thankfully not her skin), and pulled it free. Finally rising to the surface, he let the water carry them swiftly downstream, and with one arm, he stroked his way to a small, stone covered beach. He stumbled to the shore with Rose in his arms. 

_one minute, twenty seven seconds_

The Doctor lay a sodden Rose on her back, tore off her thick jacket, and threw it to the side.   
Time was of the essence, so despite knowing he needed to remove her cold, wet clothing, he bent over and placed his ear on her chest. Her heart beat was slow but steady, and he moved to her head, tilted it back to allow for airflow, and checked for signs of breathing. Not finding any, he opened her mouth and placed his lips over hers, breathing deeply into her mouth and filling her lungs with air. As he did this, he dimly registered Jack arriving and the sound of snowshoes clattering to the ground. 

_fifty three seconds_

As he ignored Jack’s questions and began to give her another breath, Rose inhaled loudly and retched. The Doctor pulled back and turned her to her side as she vomited water, taking in large gasps of air, her shoulders heaving. 

“Doctor,” Rose gasped, her hand reaching for his. 

The Doctor exhaled loudly, unaware he had stopped breathing, and scooped Rose up in his arms, holding her tight against his chest. “Rose, Rose, Rose…” he murmured.

“Doctor, Rose needs to get back to the TARDIS. Immediately. She needs to get out of her clothes.” Jack’s warning focused the Doctor to the task at hand.

“Right, yes. Rose, stay awake, love. Look at me. Don’t sleep,” the Doctor ordered. Her eyes opened and she gazed up at the Doctor. 

“Doctor, ‘m cold, so cold.” Rose’s teeth chattered between blue lips and her shivering became more violent, wracking her entire body. 

Jack handed him a self-warming emergency bivy sack from the 32nd century, and the Doctor’s eyes caught Jack’s, expressing gratitude and relief. He was unable to speak, except to murmur soothing words to Rose, who was silent save for her shivering. 

The Doctor and Jack quickly stripped Rose of her water laden boots and clothing, down to her knickers and bra, and wrapped her in the bivy sack. 

The Doctor stood, holding Rose in both arms, and looked at Jack. 

“I’m going to run back to the TARDIS with Rose. The TARDIS has some special blankets to treat hypothermia. I’ll take her to my room instead of the medbay, but she’ll be fine as long as I leave now. You can bring the tree back to the TARDIS.” 

"Sure, Doc, I'll do that." At least that way, he'd be able to do _something_ for Rose. 

Murmuring a quiet thank you to Jack, the Doctor stepped over the rocky beach and reached the edge of the woods. He cursed loudly and turned to Jack. 

“I think it’ll be easier if I wear the snowshoes. Will you give me a hand?” the Doctor asked. 

Jack helped the Doctor step into the shoes and strap them securely to his feet. The Doctor thanked Jack and immediately began running through the woods to find the logging road. 

The Doctor kept up a constant one-sided conversation with Rose in an attempt to keep her awake and alert. With the TARDIS guiding him to her, he found the road after about ten minutes and was able to increase his pace, his steps unhindered by fallen trees and other debris covering the forest ground. 

“I’m always on time with my jokes, Rose. I guess you could say I’m pretty _pun-ctual_. Oh, how about this one? What do you call a bear with no teeth? No answer, Rose? It’s a _gummy bear_. What do they say about archeologists? Their careers lie in ruins! It’s a good joke, that. Archaeologists! They’re a joke of their own. Ha!”

The Doctor kept spouting off one bad joke after another, and after the first three, he saw Rose roll her eyes and snuggle closer to him. His heart lifted marginally at her reaction.

After 15 minutes of running (blimey, did they really hike that far?), the Doctor saw the TARDIS in front of him and burst forward the last few meters to the door. Precariously holding Rose in one arm, he reached deep into his left pocket and pulled out his TARDIS key. 

The Doctor managed to kick off his snowshoes before bounding through the doors, and he kicked the door shut behind him. Sending a silent apology to his ship, he strode quickly out of the console room.

The TARDIS moved his bedroom door to just outside the console room, and he opened it and rushed inside. He ran to his bed and lay Rose on top of it. Cradling her head, he roused her from her semi-conscious state and looked in her eyes. 

She blinked and looked around her, confused. 

“Rose, we’re back on the TARDIS. Jack and I had to take your clothes off, and we wrapped you in an emergency blanket. Can I- May I wrap you in a blanket the TARDIS has for regulating hypothermic body temperatures?” The urgency in his eyes betrayed his concern. 

Rose’s gaze focused on the Doctor, and she nodded silently, her body shivering again as the bivy sack lost its function in room temperature. 

The Doctor unzipped the bivy sack and grabbed the hypothermic blanket at the end of the bed. It wrapped around the wearer like a cocoon, head to toe, and once Rose was bundled up, he placed her in the center of his bed before stepping back and gazing at her for a moment. He realized he was still sopping wet, well, slightly frozen, now, and plodded to his ensuite to remove his clothes. The TARDIS provided flannel jimjams, and he dressed quickly, anxious to return to Rose. 

The Doctor crawled into bed and curled his body around Rose, the action instinctive and necessary despite having never shared a bed with her before. His hearts hammered in his chest as he recalled the events of the last hour. He closed his eyes in an attempt to block the image of Rose stuck in the dam and her shivering, blue form after pulling her from the water, but the sight of Rose so helpless and pale refused to leave his mind. Willing his breath to match Rose’s, he calmed slowly at the soothing rhythm of her chest rising up and down under his arms. It reminded him she was alive and well. _Alive_. With that thought, the lights in the room dimmed to darkness as the Doctor drifted off to sleep, thankful this precious human was safe in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Within this chapter is some hurt/comfort sexy times and...well....that's about it. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my dwsecretsanta gift for wordsintimeandspace! So...this is my first time writing smut. I really went back and forth about whether or not I wanted it in this story, because it would be perfectly fine without the rating increase. However, the idea wouldn’t leave me alone, and I decided to keep it, even though it shoots the rating up rather abruptly. :D I’m blushing a lot right now, my hands are sweating, and I’m...I can’t believe I’m publishing this. Please be kind. I never thought I would or could write anything like this, so it’s taking a lot of courage to post this. 
> 
> (The next chapter is decidedly teen again, so if you’ve been reading and don’t like the rating change, you’ll be safe to catch up with the next chapter.)
> 
> Beta: aimtoallonsy

The Doctor stirred, pulled to consciousness by the feeling of soft fingers toying with the buttons on his jimjams, fingers which occasionally brushed lightly against his chest. Moaning softly, he pushed his hips forward and found friction where he needed it against a leg tangled with his. He stilled suddenly, reality taking hold of his mind, and opened his eyes to find Rose on her side, face centimeters from his and her honey brown eyes dark with shock and want. His body tensed as he struggled to fight his natural instinct to run until the events of the previous day rushed into his memory, causing him to push his instincts away and pull Rose closer to him. He dimly noted she’d shed her hypothermic blanket at some point while sleeping.

“I’ve never seen you sleep before,” Rose whispered, unwilling to break the spell of early morning intimacy in the soft light of the TARDIS. “You look so peaceful. ‘S lovely.”

“Rose,” the Doctor murmured, voice still thick with sleep, “you almost died yesterday. I-I need…”

He looked at her, blue eyes dark with desire and relief, and he trailed his fingers down the soft skin of Rose’s back, ending at the soft curve of her bum and pulled her close so she could feel his need against her. He groaned loudly when he felt her shudder and rock against him in response. 

“I need, too.” Her free hand reached up, scratching down the back of his head until her hand gently cupped behind his neck. She pulled his face close to hers, and their lips met, sliding warmly together. 

Lazy and languorous kisses quickly turned desperate and sloppy. Hands roamed unabashedly, firm strokes over sensitive skin, the resulting breathy gasps indistinguishable between them.

The Doctor pulled back suddenly, and Rose whimpered at the loss of the Time Lord wrapped around her. He quickly peeled his shirt over his head and lifted his hips off the bed to remove his bottoms. Before Rose could process it, he moved to straddle her, and stared at her intently, still breathing heavily. He purposely ignored his respiratory bypass; he needed to feel this moment, all of it. 

“Rose,” he rasped, a thousand questions in her name.

In response, Rose pulled his head to hers and captured his lips once again. His hand crept up her stomach and gently cupped one breast, his thumb brushing over the hardened peak. She moaned and thrust her hips upward, hoping to find friction, and the Doctor abandoned her breast, finding the edge of her knickers and pulling them down in one movement. Rose kicked them off her feet as the Doctor reached under her back to undo her bra clasp. In a slightly awkward motion, she shimmied out of her bra, and the Doctor flung it across the room. Flushed and breathless with hooded eyes, they saw each other fully for the first time. 

“Rose, so beautiful. Fantastic, you are, my brilliant Rose,” he murmured reverently, eyes roaming the length of her body. She flushed in response, lying still, but visibly restraining herself, seeming to sense his need to be in control. He needed this. He needed to feel her safe, needed to feel her shatter under his touch, buried inside her. 

The Doctor shifted to her feet and began placing soft, feather-light kisses on her feet, her calves, and as he reached her inner thighs, her legs spread open naturally and he tortured Rose as he kissed to the apex of her thighs, intentionally avoiding the place she most wanted him. He settled himself between her legs and looked up at Rose. With her head on a pillow she gave him a tiny nod, and the final thread of his resistance finally broke as he plunged two fingers into her slick heat. Licking his lips at how ready she was for him, he pumped his fingers in and out of her entrance a few times before latching his mouth directly onto her clit and sucking hard.

Rose shouted and bucked her hips at the sudden sensation of the Doctor’s fingers and mouth on her. He held her hips tightly with his other arm as he licked and sucked, relentlessly driving Rose higher and higher until she threw her head back on the pillow and shouted the Doctor’s name as he drew out her orgasm until she lay boneless on the bed, chest heaving and eyes hooded with desire. 

The Doctor held her gaze as he kneeled back on his heels, still between her legs, and sucked her wetness off his fingers. 

His cock throbbed as he watched Rose closed her eyes and groan, “Fuck, Doctor.” 

Her hand began to drift between her legs and, wanting to be the one responsible for her pleasure, he grasped her wrist and raised it above her head to capture it along with her other arm. With his other hand, he positioned himself at her entrance, running his length through her wet heat, once, twice, feeling Rose grow slicker with each pass. 

The Doctor shifted and thrust into Rose, filling himself completely inside her in one quick movement. She cursed loudly in pleasure and surprise, and he willed himself to hold still while she adjusted to his size. She felt exquisite, her tight heat clenching around him, and he knew his cooler body temperature would also provide Rose with extra sensation. 

The Doctor stared into Rose’s eyes as he began to thrust in and out with slow, measured strokes. 

“Doctor….fuck,” Rose grunted, and he let go of her hands as he began to increase the pace. 

Rose scratched her nails down his back and dug her heels into his buttocks, and he lowered himself to place kisses across her chest and up her neck, sucking on her pulse point. Rose tried to rise up to kiss him, but he stayed just out of reach. She growled and angled her hips up to meet his next thrust, making him gasp. 

The Doctor leaned back and brought his thumb to Rose’s clit. He rubbed quick circles on it as he thrust harder and faster into Rose until they were both on the precipice, calling out each other’s names, curses, and encouragements interchangeably.

Suddenly Rose clenched him, hard, with her inner muscles, and the Doctor broke with a cry, spilling himself into Rose. He flicked her clit in retaliation one last time before she cried out, finding her own release. Together they rode out their orgasms before the Doctor collapsed on top of Rose. 

After a moment, the Doctor pulled out of Rose, both of them gasping softly at the loss of each other, and lay on his side, staring in disbelief at Rose, a soft smile ghosting his lips. Rose turned to face him, a radiant smile on her own face. 

“Doctor, I--” she glanced down briefly before looking him in the eyes. “Thank you. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for, well, for this.”

She leaned forward to kiss him chastely on the lips before rolling to her back. 

The Doctor ran his fingers down her arm and lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing it gently. 

“Rose, you’re my everything,” he whispered, holding his breath at the implication of his words.

Rose squeezed his hand in response, knowing words weren’t necessary, and they lay together, the silence between them comfortable and relaxed.

“Where’s Jack? Did you both bring me back?” Rose asked several minutes later, wondering about the events of the night before.

“Bugger,” the Doctor said. “We should probably get dressed and find him. He’s probably worried sick about you. I, uh, told him I could take care of you and made him bring the tree back.”

“Doctor!” Rose looked over at the Doctor in shock and lightly smacked his shoulder. “I’ll go take a shower. I’m sure the TARDIS can find me some clothes. Then we’ll find Jack and eat breakfast.”

Rose hopped off the bed and strode confidently to the ensuite. She looked coyly over her shoulder at the Doctor.

“Want to join me, Doctor? I still think I need some...warming up.”

Well, the Doctor was a good many things, but he wasn’t stupid. He followed her inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the early morning activities, the Doctor and Rose reunite with Jack and finish decorating the ship for Christmas festivities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my dwsecretsanta gift for wordsintimeandspace! And we’re at the fluffy end!! I hope you enjoyed this, my dear. Have yourself a very wonderful and happy Christmas!! <3
> 
> A final HUGE thank you to my beta, aimtoallonsy/crazygirlne, because this story would not be what it is without you. <3
> 
> Merry Christmas!! And THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to read this and comment. It means so much, and you are all wonderful.

Rose and the Doctor walked hand in hand down the corridor. He was dressed in his usual jeans and jumper, but Rose dressed in the comfortable lounge pants and hoodie the TARDIS gave her in the Doctor’s ensuite. She felt bad that Jack didn’t know if she was alright; the Doctor had explained more of the previous day’s events more thoroughly in the haze of heat and steam of the of the shower. She wondered whether the steam gave the Doctor a mask to hide his true emotions, but she realized it didn’t matter to her, because she saw through his carefully constructed barriers either way. 

She shivered slightly, remembering the river’s deathly-cold pull as she hit the water, as well as the panic she felt when her clothes had trapped her against the log dam underwater. Squeezing the Doctor’s hand tightly for a moment, she exhaled slowly to release the tension in her shoulders. It was done, in the past. She was healthy and safe, and the Doctor and Jack had saved her life. 

They entered the galley and found Jack moodily nursing a cup of tea at the table. He looked up in surprise, and jumped up as Rose ran across the room and flung her arms around his neck. 

“Jack, I’m _so sorry_ we didn’t come find you sooner! The Doctor only told me this morning what happened, and he’s a bit of a git--sorry, Doctor--for not telling you I was alright.” 

As the words tumbled out of Rose, Jack shot the Doctor a glare over her shoulder, and the Doctor gave him an impassive look, his eyes slightly haunted. Jack sighed, realizing the Doctor had his reasons. 

Rose let go of Jack and wandered back to the Doctor, taking his hand again, leading him to the table. She then busied herself at the counter, turning on the kettle and popping toast into the toaster. She plucked two bananas out of the fruit basket and handed one to the Doctor who peeled it eagerly and took a large bite. 

Rolling her eyes fondly, she chewed her banana a few seconds before realizing it was quiet in the galley. Rose swallowed and looked at Jack who was looking speculatively between her and the Doctor. She blushed. 

“I _KNEW_ it!!” Jack exclaimed, a gleeful smile on his face. “You two love birds totally had sex, didn’t you?”

The Doctor choked on his banana before blurting out, “None your business, Captain.”

Jack hooted loudly when he saw the Doctor’s ears turn red. 

“ _Soooooooo_ ,” he began suggestively, but Rose cut him off.

“Yeah, Jack, we shagged, but that’s between me an’ the Doctor, and no, you don’t get details.” 

The Doctor looked relieved and as he stood to get the milk out of the fridge, his back to Rose and Jack, Rose mouthed, “ _Later_ ” to her friend, giving him a wink. 

Jack nodded and leaned back in his chair with a pleased smirk. 

Once Rose and the Doctor ate and drank their fill of breakfast and tea, Rose clapped her hands together and asked if they could decorate the tree, not quite in the mood for any more adventures outside the TARDIS for a few days. Jack explained that he left the tree outside the time ship for the night because he needed help bringing it inside without damaging it. Rose asked them to go fetch the tree, and she headed to the library to pick out a place for the tree and find ornaments. 

Inside the library, Rose drifted over to the couch in front of the fire, and she shivered as another memory floated to the front of her mind. This memory, however, was filled with pleasure and heat, and she moaned as she remembered the feel of the Doctor’s large, strong hands on her body. She shook her head to postpone the memories for a more appropriate time, but lingered on her feeling of disbelief and joy that something had finally happened between her and the Doctor. For so long now she’d felt a burning desire for this alien, this gorgeous Time Lord who’d stolen her heart and who took her on adventures no other man could ever dream of, Jack included. She’d been content to settle with him as best friends and nothing more, but then he’d demonstrated his feelings for her in the wake of almost losing her. She only hoped she’d been able to show him her feelings as well. One day she’d tell him, but surely he knew. Right? 

Her thoughts were interrupted as Jack and the Doctor lurched through the doorway, arguing about how to best carry and transport the tree. 

“Look, all I’m saying is that we should have tied up the branches. It would have made it so much easier to drag through the ship,” Jack argued. 

“Absolutely not. Do you think the TARDIS wants pine needles all over the place? Imagine how hard it would be to get the floor under the grating cleaned. And tying up the tree? Jack, we’re trying to give Rose the best tree she’s ever had, not some shoddy, tied-up tree she can find at the London market. That’s the whole point of this trip.” 

Rose rolled her eyes. The tree was in the library, and everyone was safe and sound inside the TARDIS. That’s all that mattered.

“Oi, you two, bickering like a pair of old ladies, you are. Now, I put the tree stand over there by the fire, so maybe stop arguing and get into the Christmas spirit.” Rose pointed her finger at a spot close to the fire, but not so close that the limbs would catch fire from errant sparks. 

She began humming a Christmas tune from the TARDIS playlist, and she admired her Doctor and Jack as they skillfully set up the tree in the tree stand. 

“I should get water for it, yeah?” Rose asked the Doctor. 

“Nah, this stand is from the 26th century, and researchers found a way to put the tree in stasis to preserve the smell and life of the tree. Dead useful, that. No more dead pine needles falling about. I picked this up a few centuries ago for an old friend, and I guess I never got rid of it.”

Rose nodded at the Doctor’s explanation and hauled a few boxes of decorations over to the tree. 

“Right, now, there’s a ladder against the wall. Who wants to be in charge of lights? Jack? Ta. Doctor, you can put the star on once Jack is done, and right now, you and I can sort through these ornaments.”

Jack smirked at Rose as the Doctor good-naturedly rolled his eyes. She was in her element. 

A few hours later, the tree was decorated. Tiny white and colored lights were strung around the tree (strings of lights not needing to be plugged in!), and silver tinsel hung from every branch. The bright, white star adorning the top of the tree gave off a muted glow unlike anything Rose had ever seen, and the Doctor claimed it was actually a special metal from Stjerneverden, a spectacular planet with Norwegian origins. The Doctor decided he would take Rose there in the near future, perhaps before visiting her mother. The tree was decorated with a large and eclectic collection of ornaments from all over the universe, some simply random trinkets made into decorations, as Rose claimed perfect and stylized trees were boring. She rather thought the TARDIS agreed with her as well, as no two ornaments were the same.

The Doctor, Rose, and Jack sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, exhausted, while admiring their handiwork. The fire danced merrily from behind a screen in the fireplace; one too many errant sparks required its use.

Jack jumped up to fetch sandwiches, Christmas biscuits, and hot chocolate from the galley, and the Doctor reached to his left to pick up the book he had been reading out loud to Rose. 

Rose snuggled into his side as the Doctor began reading. 

“Chapter twenty-three, The Yule Ball. Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays, Harry was in no mood to work when term ended, and spent the week leading up to Christmas enjoying himself as fully as possible along with everyone else,” the Doctor began reading, this chapter of _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ a perfect fit for the current ambience of the library. 

Several minutes later, Jack returned, and the Doctor marked the spot before turning to his food. The Doctor resumed his storytelling when everyone was finished, and Rose settled between the arm of the couch and the Doctor, draping her legs over his lap, while Jack sprawled on his back on the rug in front of the fireplace. 

A short while later, Jack’s snoring drowned out the Doctor’s reading. Rose giggled and touched the Doctor on the arm, looking up at him fondly. 

“Can I just say, Doctor, I love this. All of this. Traveling with you, with Jack, with the TARDIS. I just love it. This is my life now, and I- I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”

The Doctor looked at Rose, contentment visible in his blue eyes, and replied with a smile, “I wouldn’t change it either, Rose. I’m so glad I came back to tell you the TARDIS travels in time, too.”

He wrapped his arm around Rose, kissed the top of her head, and continued reading. 

_The End._


End file.
